The idea that the Yanks will pocket his home runs and win games and take in all that revenue for him being on the team-there's just no denying that this year A-Rod is the draw on this team and is the best player on the team early-while pretending they don't exist in the milestone books-is just absurd.
A caller to Francesa's show today argued that this plan of the Yankees to bilk A-Rod out of $6 million is unworthy of an organization that has always been classy. Francesa had the perfect answer: 'I don't know that they have always been classy but they've always been an organization that is smart and doesn't do anything stupid, This thing with A-Rod where they're trying to have it both ways to save $6 million dollars is very stupid.'
It is. Some A-Rod haters are saying he doesn't 'need $6 million dollars' as if that is anything to do with it-does Brian Cashman and Hank Steinbrenner need $6 million dollars? No, they need it even less. They truly look ridiculous here:
"Oh sure, it's natural to want to see the chief offenders from the Steroids Era in baseball punished for their sins. Suspend them from the game. Drag them before Congress. Demand their apologies, and bar them from the Hall of Fame, and if that's not enough shame, paint a giant scarlet "S" on the front of their uniforms."
"Now the Yankees are taking that to the next logical level: They want their money back. Or more accurately, they don't want to pay Alex Rodriguez the $6 million bonuses he is owed for climbing up the all-time home run list — including the one he will earn in the coming days when he tops Willie Mays at 660."
"They're forgetting one not-so-minor point. Not only were the Yankees one of the chief beneficiaries from Alex Rodriguez's PED use (probably only second to the man himself), but they continue to benefit from all that illegal stuff he injected and swallowed."
http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2015/04/yankees_look_ridiculous_fighting_alex_rodriguez_ov.html
It seems to me that if they hyped up his achievements it would be good for revenue-maybe more than the $6 million they're trying to hold back. It's not clear what they're case for not paying him his bonuses is.
Any punishment was worked out in arbitration between the union and baseball. To be sure they Yankees apparently just have to show that they're doing this in 'good faith' but in reality, there's nothing in the contract that says if he catches Willie Mays 660 hrs, but he is found to have used steroids they don't have to pay him.
What bothers me is that the Yankees don't seem to be making a move that in any way improves the team or is even smart economically-ok, they could finagle $6 million but what about all the fan excitement around A-Rod's achievements? The fans are on A-Rod's side.
As the commentator Spencer says:
"The Yankees should open their eyes and accept this reality: the majority of fans support A-Rod. They are rooting for him to surpass these homerun milestones. Instead of begrudging his accomplishments, they should capitalize on them. Whatever the numbers mean, fans and non-fans even will be watching with great interest. The Yankees can make more money off of A-Rod than they'd like to admit. Go A-Rod!!!!"
It seems to me that the incoherent attitude of the Yankees here is a microcosm of the incoherent attitude of baseball on steroids. The league has decided that a few players-A-Rod, Bonds, McGwire, Clemens-would be the scapegoats. Their records count-if A-Rod's numbers on Saturday didn't count they would have lost the game 4-1-but for milestones the league pretends these players never played-at all.
At some point I think baseball is going to have to come to terms with itself here. Let's hope A-Rod is able to stay healthy-if so, the excitement about him might begin this coming to terms.
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